2021 Production
Career Contextualization
Rashod Bateman (WR – BAL) was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens after an uber-productive college career. The highly-touted prospect’s 35% career dominator rating ranked No. 1 in his class among receivers from the FBS. The former Golden Gopher also led the nation in yards per route run (3.6) and was PFF’s eighth-highest graded receiver (89.2) from an out-wide alignment during his epic sophomore season.
The impressive stats were enough to convince the Ravens to draft him 27th overall as the fifth WR off the board.
But Bateman would not get the chance to make an immediate impact after undergoing a groin injury. He missed the first five weeks of his rookie season before making his season debut. The 6-foot-2 and 210-pound receiver compiled at least 50 receiving yards in his next three games, reaching 80 in two of them.
2021 Production
Career Contextualization
Rashod Bateman (WR – BAL) was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens after an uber-productive college career. The highly-touted prospect’s 35% career dominator rating ranked No. 1 in his class among receivers from the FBS. The former Golden Gopher also led the nation in yards per route run (3.6) and was PFF’s eighth-highest graded receiver (89.2) from an out-wide alignment during his epic sophomore season.
The impressive stats were enough to convince the Ravens to draft him 27th overall as the fifth WR off the board.
But Bateman would not get the chance to make an immediate impact after undergoing a groin injury. He missed the first five weeks of his rookie season before making his season debut. The 6-foot-2 and 210-pound receiver compiled at least 50 receiving yards in his next three games, reaching 80 in two of them.
Then after an unusual snafu in Week 13 where Bateman was hardly used, he posted his first 100-yard game, catching seven of his eight targets from backup quarterback Tyler Huntley (QB – BAL). It was at this point that Bateman had become officially entrenched in the offense.
Over the final five weeks, Bateman ran a route on 88% of dropbacks. In Week 18, Bateman tied Marquise Brown (WR – ARI) with 40 routes run. But what’s most impressive is that Bateman had more receiving yards than Brown from Weeks 14-18 despite the latter seeing 18 more targets.
It’s a credit to Bateman’s per target efficiency that he was able to compile over 500 receiving yards on fewer than 70 targets. The only first-round rookie WR to accomplish that feat since 2010 is Brandin Cooks (WR – HOU) — arguably the NFL’s most underrated wide receiver.
Current Situation
The Baltimore Ravens traded Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, opening the WR1 role on offense. Bateman has the opportunity to step in and be the true No. 1 wide receiver for Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL) in 2022 and beyond.
With Brown’s 23% target share departure, Bateman can seize a massive role for fantasy as a high-end WR2. 2022 is Shoddy B breakout SZN.
General Prediction for 2022 and Rest of Career
As I write the profile, I am currently fending off dynasty trade requests for Bateman. The market is high on the Ravens second-year wide receiver, as it should be. With a decorated college profile and encouraging rookie season, he should break out in 2022. Currently ranked as my WR21 in dynasty, Bateman seems primed to make the jump into the top-15 WR rankings sooner rather than later.
The only things potentially holding him back are tight end Mark Andrews (TE – BAL), the ambiguity about Lamar Jackson’s long-term career in Baltimore and the run-heavy nature of the offense. But those are more nitpicks than actual concerns.
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